Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessReach Syncope REST API
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DeliverySelf-register or authenticate as user
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ExploitSubmit self-update request with Role assignment
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ExecutionWorkflow provisions attacker-chosen Roles
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PersistGain Entitlements as administrator
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ImpactFull control of identity platform
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A06:2025 - Insecure Design
ASVS 5.0
V8 - Authorization Least privilege enforcement
MITRE ATT&CK
1 technique across 1 tactic: Privilege Escalation The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires the deployment to be configured with the all-Java user workflow adapter, OR the Flowable user workflow adapter with a BPMN definition that does NOT require admin approval for user self-registration or self-update. Under either condition, an attacker submits a REST API self-registration/self-update call that assigns themselves defined Roles. Limiting factors: the non-default requirement that self-service actions bypass admin approval means hardened deployments (Flowable BPMN enforcing approval) are not exploitable; the concrete privilege gained is bounded by which Roles/Entitlements are actually defined on that Syncope instance; and while the self-registration path may be reachable pre-authentication, the self-update path presumes an existing low-privileged account. |
| Impact | The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H = 9.8) reflects network-reachable, low-complexity abuse yielding full administrative control, which is the worst-case ceiling. That ceiling is real only where the vulnerable configuration exists: the all-Java adapter, or a Flowable BPMN that skips admin approval for self-registration/self-update - so real-world risk is gated by deployment configuration rather than being universal, a nuance the raw 9.8 does not capture. PR:N is defensible because the self-registration path can be reachable without a prior account, though the self-update path realistically implies an existing low-privileged session (closer to PR:L); the input provides no SSVC decision and no EPSS score, so automatability and observed-exploitation probability cannot be quantified here. There is no KEV listing and no evidence of a public POC, so this is a high-severity-but-not-yet-exploited priority: patch promptly given trivial exploitation and total-compromise impact, but the config dependency means not every Syncope instance is equally exposed - verify each deployment's workflow adapter and BPMN approval settings. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | On a Syncope instance using the all-Java adapter (or a Flowable BPMN without admin approval), an attacker self-registers or authenticates as an ordinary user and submits a crafted REST self-registration/self-update request that includes one or more privileged Roles. Because the workflow does not strip or gate the Role assignment, the account is provisioned with those Roles' Entitlements, granting de facto administrator access; no public POC has been identified, but the low-complexity network vector makes exploitation straightforward for anyone who can reach the API. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv2 – Jul 21, 2026
Privilege escalation in Apache Syncope's identity-management engine lets a self-service user grant themselves defined Roles via a single REST API call, effectively promoting a low-privileged or newly self-registered account to administrator. It affects deployments running the all-Java user workflow adapter, or the Flowable adapter with a BPMN definition that does not require admin approval for self-registration or self-update, across versions 3.0.0-M0-3.0.16, 4.0.0-M0-4.0.6, and 4.1.0-M0-4.1.1. The Apache-issued advisory rates it CVSS 9.8; no public exploit identified at time of analysis and it is not on CISA KEV.
Earlier versions of this analysis (1)
Privilege escalation in Apache Syncope's identity management engine allows a user to grant themselves defined Roles through a REST API call, inheriting those Roles' Entitlements and effectively becoming an administrator. The flaw (CWE-269, Improper Privilege Management) is exploitable only in deployments using the all-Java user workflow adapter, or the Flowable adapter with a BPMN definition that does not require admin approval for self-registration or self-update. There is no public exploit identified at time of analysis and no CVSS score was published by the reporter (Apache); it is not listed in CISA KEV.
RemediationAI
Vendor-released patch: upgrade to Apache Syncope 4.0.7 or 4.1.2, which fix the issue per the Apache advisory (https://lists.apache.org/thread/6r8cngvy43y2yk4jj3w060dt8vx0yzpr); 3.0.x deployments (through 3.0.16) should migrate to a fixed 4.0.7/4.1.2 release, as no fixed 3.0.x version is cited in the input. Where immediate patching is not possible, the actionable compensating control is to change the workflow configuration so self-service cannot self-assign privileges: if using the Flowable adapter, edit the BPMN user-workflow definition to require administrator approval for self-registration and self-update requests (trade-off: adds manual approval latency to legitimate onboarding); if using the all-Java adapter, restrict or disable anonymous/self-service registration and self-update endpoints and route role changes through admin-only flows (trade-off: removes self-service convenience). Additionally, restrict network access to the Syncope REST API and audit existing user Role assignments for anomalous self-granted administrative Roles before and after remediation.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in euvd
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
Apache Syncope is an open-source Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) platform that manages users, groups, Roles and their Entitlements, exposing operations through a REST API. Provisioning and lifecycle actions are driven by a pluggable 'user workflow adapter' - either the built-in all-Java adapter or the Flowable BPMN engine, where a BPMN process defines whether self-registration and self-update requests require administrative approval. The flaw is CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management): the self-service registration/update path fails to prevent a caller from including Role assignments in the request, so the workflow honors an attacker-controlled Role grant that should be an administrator-only operation. The affected component is cpe:2.3:a:apache_software_foundation:apache_syncope, and the concrete impact depends on which Roles (and their bundled Entitlements) are actually defined on the specific deployment.
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Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Network REST reachable and low-complexity; PR:N because the self-registration path can be pre-auth, and self-promotion to admin yields full C:H/I:H/A:H.
Primary rating from Vendor (apache).
CVSS VectorVendor: apache
Lifecycle Timeline
3DescriptionCVE.org
Improper Privilege Management vulnerability in Apache Syncope.
When:
- the all-Java user workflow adapter is configured, or
- the Flowable user workflow adapter is configured, bearing a BPMN definition not requiring admin approval for user self registration of self update requests
the following scenario could happen. A REST API call can allow the user to grant themselves one or more of defined Roles, thus gaining their Entitlements and becoming in fact an administrator; the actual Entitlements gained depend on the Roles that are effectively defined on the specific Syncope deployment.
This issue affects Apache Syncope: from 3.0.0-M0 through 3.0.16, from 4.0.0-M0 Through 4.0.6, from 4.1.0-M0 through 4.1.1.
Users are recommended to upgrade to version 4.0.7 / 4.1.2, which fix this issue.
Articles & Coverage 4
Executive ViewAI
Apache Syncope's identity management platform contains a critical privilege escalation vulnerability (CVE-2026-62183, CVSS 9.8) affecting versions 3.0.0-4.1.1, with no public exploit identified at time of analysis. Unprivileged users can self-promote to administrator status via a single REST API call, granting unrestricted access to all downstream applications and business-critical data. Organizations using Syncope face immediate risk of identity compromise, lateral movement across infrastructure, and regulatory violations if unauthorized privilege escalation occurs.
No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Interim mitigations: immediately disable self-service registration and account update functions site-wide; restrict Syncope REST API access to authenticated administrators only through network segmentation or WAF rules; implement detailed audit logging and real-time alerts for all role assignment operations; if operationally feasible, migrate from Java or Flowable workflow adapters to alternative implementations that enforce mandatory administrative approval for any identity modifications; conduct forensic audit of all role changes since system deployment; apply heightened access restrictions on downstream systems until mitigation is confirmed complete.
Threat Intelligence Overview
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Privilege escalation occurs when an attacker leverages flaws in access control mechanisms to gain permissions beyond what they were originally granted.
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GHSA-p386-8623-243g
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
VulDB
Exploit-DB